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Discovering new drugs in “Traditional” Chinese Medicine
Published in Stephan Kloos, Calum Blaikie, Asian Medical Industries, 2022
Artemisinin was considered neither a Chinese nor Western drug when Tu conducted her lab research but was referred to as a “new drug” or xinyao (新药). Most “new drugs” were defined as imitations or substitutes for foreign products using native (Chinese) herbs, or animal tissue, as their base ingredients. This practice had its origins in the Republican era but expanded in the early Communist period at an unprecedented rate, as private medicinal companies became state owned and subject to state-directed policies and quotas. The Soviet Union had shown that it was possible to become nearly self-sufficient in local drug production by means of reverse engineering, and the new Chinese government drew on that example with the help of Soviet advisors. Bioprospecting occurred throughout the country in the 1950s and early 1960s, with numerous herbs brought to the laboratory with the hope of isolating their active ingredients, or at least producing single-herb-based formulas that could serve as substitutes for imported drugs. The many Soviet-inspired pharmaceutical factories built by the regime – designated by the names of their cities – often contained both laboratories and mass production facilities.2 (Chee 2015, 2021)
Wild Plants as a Treasure of Natural Healers
Published in Mahendra Rai, Shandesh Bhattarai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Wild Plants, 2020
Mahendra Rai, Shandesh Bhattarai, Chistiane Mendes Feitosa
Bioprospecting is the discovery and commercialization procedure of novel products, comprising economically valuable species and genes from biological resources. These novel products can be useful in many fields, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, bioremediation, and nanotechnology (Oli and Dhakal 2009, Beattie et al. 2011). Biodiversity prospecting provides economic value to ensure sustainable conservation of natural biodiversity in developing countries (Eisner 1989), which are rich in biocultural diversity.
Applications of Indigenous Knowledges in the 21st Century
Published in David R. Katerere, Wendy Applequist, Oluwaseyi M. Aboyade, Chamunorwa Togo, Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge for the Modern Era, 2019
Modern/Western medicine and the pharmaceutical industry have benefitted significantly from new drug cures derived from indigenous medicinal knowledge and use of indigenous (mainly plant) species. There are multiple examples of modern Western medicines that have been derived from indigenous medicines, including aspirin (from willow bark), quinine (from cinchona bark), and morphine (from opium poppy) (Vickers, Zollman & Lee, 2001; Dias, Urban & Roessner, 2012). This is despite the fact that most indigenous medicinal knowledge and practices are frequently denigrated as primitive and superstitious. However, the continuing bioprospecting by pharmaceutical companies in search of indigenous medicinal species in indigenous peoples’ lands for new pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals proves their currency. Consider the recent case of Hoodia currorii (ghaap, khobab), a succulent plant whose stems are eaten as raw food by the Khoi San people of Southern Africa as a hunger suppressant during their long treks across the desert. The plant’s extract has now been patented and is now being used as an alternative way to slim and reduce obesity (Wynberg, Schroeder & Chennels, 2009).
In vitro and molecular docking studies on a novel Brevibacillus borstelensis NOB3 bioactive compounds as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activity
Published in Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2023
Hend A. Hamedo, Aya A. Elkashef, Mohamed A. I. Mansour, Naglaa Elshafey
More and more natural therapeutics are being discovered as researchers look for alternative therapeutics that employ microbial species and have significant benefits for the biotechnological and biological disciplines [4]. Extreme ecosystems, such as soda lakes and hypersaline environments, provide a lot of potential for bioprospecting, which aims to find new enzymes or genes for novel biotechnological applications [31]. New species are frequently reported, indicating that microbial diversity and activity increase in hypersaline settings [32–34]. Rocks, dust, aquatic environments, and the viscera of numerous insects and mammals are just a few places where Brevibacillus has been found [35–38]. B. borstelensis NOB3 had never been identified in the North Sinai solar saline environment created by the Bardawil lagoons. We selected this area for our research because it has a unique physicochemical profile and contains multiple novel species, and because research on the area was lacking [22]. Numerous researchers have chosen new locations for the isolation of novel antibiotic-producing bacteria, as well as those containing advantageous microbial populations, which are strongly present in these unusual and alluring settings [39,40].
A systematic review of the bioprospecting potential of Lonomia spp. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
Published in Toxin Reviews, 2023
Henrique G. Riva, Angela R. Amarillo-S.
Considering that several specific keywords had to be used in the search equation for this review to find documents about bioprospecting, it is possible that there are other articles that have not been considered in this review that are associated with different keywords. This review displays the state of the art regarding the potential of Lonomia for bioprospecting and may be useful to foment research in areas scarcely studied, in addition to revealing research opportunities in well-studied subjects. Considering that there are several articles about the use of Lonomia derivatives in cell culture, a review and further experiments on this subject would be useful to understand, among other questions, which molecules (Q2-5, rLOPAP, rLOSAC, and pM2c) are most effective or could have synergistic effects in different cell types. Several applications have the same knowledge gap, which relates to the lack or absence of in vivo studies, including thrombosis treatment, tissue regeneration, and antiviral and antibiotic treatment. Two other applications require the development of recombinant production: antiviral treatment (AVLO) and thrombosis treatment (Lonomin V).
Structural insights and molecular dynamics into the inhibitory mechanism of a Kunitz-type trypsin inhibitor from Tamarindus indica L
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2021
Amanda Fernandes de Medeiros, Beatriz Blenda Pinheiro de Souza, Lucas Pinheiro Coutinho, Aline Melro Murad, Paula Ivani Medeiros dos Santos, Norberto de Kássio Vieira Monteiro, Elizeu Antunes dos Santos, Bruna Leal Lima Maciel, Ana Heloneida de Araújo Morais
Previous studies have shown the activities and health application perspectives of Tamarind enzyme inhibitors50, and with pTTI, findings and insights are gathered in Figure 7. The exploration of computational technologies is a handling tool for unravelling the pTTI structure and innovation towards the bioprospecting of active molecules from plant origin, useful for the biotechnology industry. Designed bioactive peptides, MD studies with other proteins related to energy metabolism (membrane receptor), and MD with other compounds support new application perspectives, whether in silico, in vitro, or in vivo studies. Therefore, the study of these molecules directly influences future proposals for application in healthcare-related to obesity, its complications, and associated comorbidities, thus linked to a possibility of interest to the pharmaceutical industry.